Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad

CRANBERRY PECAN CHICKEN SALAD

1/3 cup light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon rosemary, minced
2 cups chopped or shredded chicken
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup diced Granny Smith apple
1/2 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped
11/2 tablespoons diced onion
salt and pepper

Mix together mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, and rosemary.

In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, pecans, apple, cranberries and onion. Toss with dressing until well combined.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill for at least an hour until ready to serve.


By the way, I cheated and used canned chicken and I'm okay with that!!

Cranberry Avocado Salad

A delicious salad combination!


CRANBERRY AVOCADO SALAD

fresh spinach leaves
avocado slices
dried cranberries
honey roasted sliced almonds
mix of 2 commercial salad dressings (poppy seed and balsamic vinegar)

Mix in desired portions and proportions!

Mediterranean Tuna Salad

This recipe is based on one (that I found on Pinterest) for Mediterranean Tuna Panini. Although that sounds really great, I'm trying to avoid bread in order to lose some weight. I served it over a plateful of iceberg lettuce topped with a little Greek salad dressing.

I adjusted the recipe for a smaller portion and slightly changed up the ingredients and proportions. Here's my version.

MEDITERRANEAN TUNA SALAD
inspired by recipe at EatingWell.com

1 (6 ounce) can solid white albacore tuna, drained

1 Roma tomato, seeded and chopped

1 ounce crumbled feta cheese

1 tablespoon chopped onion

2 tablespoons chopped Kalamata olives

1 tablespoon chopped capers

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon lite mayonnaise

black pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients until combined.

Yield: 2 servings

This was the best tuna salad ever! I don't want to go back to the kind with hard-boiled eggs and pickle relish.

Chickpea Salad

This is a delicious salad on it's own or served over lettuce like I had it. I made a little more dressing than the recipe so that I had enough to cover the lettuce.

The magazine recipe suggested to serve it with pita bread and hummus, which sounds good, too.

CHICKPEA SALAD
from Publix FamilyStyle magazine

2 (15 ounce) cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
6 Roma tomatoes, sliced or chopped
4 ounces crumbled Feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 black pepper

In a large bowl combine beans, tomatoes and cheese.

In a screw top jar, combine vinegar, oil, sugar and pepper. Shake to mix well.

Pour dressing over bean mixture and stir gently.

Salad with Nectarines

I'm still finding new salad combinations for lunch, trying to love salad more than I really do.

Iceberg lettuce

Spinach

Nectarine slices

Sliced onion

Chopped pecans

Kraft Lite Raspberry Vinaigrette

The Raspberry vinaigrette was really great with the nectarine.

Asian Chicken Salad

No real recipe here, just a combination of ingredients that I use to make an Asian style chicken salad.

Lettuce
Cucumber
Red bell pepper
Green onion
Pineapple tidbits (canned)
Mandarin oranges (canned)
Cashews
Chicken marinated in Teriyaki sauce and grilled
Dressing made by combining Ginger dressing and Poppyseed dressing (see below, doesn't have to be citrus poppyseed, regular/plain poppyseed is actually my usual for this)

Another Good Salad Combination

This has become one of my favorite 'big salad' combinations for lunch.

Lettuce
Cucumber
Sweet onion
Garbanzo beans
Feta cheese
Pickled Beets
White Balsamic Vinaigrette

Don't turn your nose up at pickled beets if you haven't tried them. They are so good, I just love them.

Cranberry Turkey Salad

Another salad experiment... This turned out to be a really nice combination for a big, filling lunch salad.

Lettuce, cucumber, onion, chopped turkey lunchmeat, dried cranberries, crumbled feta and a lite rasberry vinaigrette dressing (Kraft). Super delicious!

Strawberry Salad

I'm trying to make my lunches a little more interesting and healthy at the same time.


This salad included iceberg lettuce, sliced cucumbers, sliced sweet onion, sliced strawberries, crumbled feta cheese and cracked black pepper. It was topped with a lite creamy balsamic vinaigrette (Private Selection brand from Kroger).

Delicious!

An Excellent Fruit Salad

Isn't that pretty?



My favorite fruit salad combination... Fresh strawberries, fresh kiwi, canned pineapple tidbits and canned mandarin oranges.

I like the canned fruit, not only for convenience, but because you can count on it to be sweet. It will offset any tartness you may have with the fresh fruits.

I like to pour a little poppyseed dressing on it, too. I use Marzetti Citrus Poppyseed dressing.

Supreme Pasta Salad

A recipe from the McCormick website. Follow this link to see it.

Extra ingredients are, of course, optional and intrechangeable. I used broccoli, red bell pepper and onion. Instead of Italian or Ranch dressing as suggested, I used a fat-free Greek vinaigrette. I used miniature bowties for the pasta.

Tropical Fruit Salad

This is a recipe from my ex-mother-in-law. I've never made this myself, but always liked when she made it. I don't know why I haven't made it for the last 10 years. I guess I forgot how good it was.

This is quick and easy to keep the ingredients in the pantry for last minute needs.



TROPICAL FRUIT SALAD

2 (15 ounce) cans Tropical Fruit Salad, drained
1 (11 ounce) can Mandarin oranges, drained
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple tidbits, drained
1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1 (1.34 ounce) box instant vanilla pudding (sugar-free)
1/2 cup pecan pieces (optional)

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Chill at least 1 hour up to overnight.

I know it sounds weird, but just pour the pudding powder mix right in on the fruit! Even after draining the fruit, there's enough liquid for the pudding to form.

The canned Tropical Fruit Salad has pineapple, papaya and guava if I remember right. It's really good.

Broccoli Salad

So many versions of Broccoli Salad... Here's mine.

BROCCOLI SALAD

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sugar (or Splenda)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
salt
pepper
1 bunch fresh broccoli florets, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (or a handful of Hormel bacon pieces)
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dry roasted sunflower kernels

Whisk together mayonnaise, sugar, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Set aside. Combine all other ingredients. Pour dressing over and toss to combine.

As you can see, I don't like too much mayo. The red wine vinegar thins it out a lot so a little can go along way and really cover the salad. Make it early so that it can refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.

Pork Loin Roll-Up Sandwiches

It's good to have leftovers!

Eddie's parents were here for dinner Friday night and we made Polynesian Pork Loin and a version of pineapple rice. So, on Sunday night we made these Roll-Up Sandwiches.




Follow this link to the Polynesian Flank Steak... we used the same marinade on the pork loin. Roll up sliced meat with pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato and the condiments of your choice.

For this version of pineapple rice: Cook package of yellow rice according to package directions. Meanwhile saute diced red bell pepper, diced onion and canned or fresh pineapple chunks. Mix into rice when it's done.

I also made another cute salad! I saw the cucumber and grape tomatoes set up like this on another blog - there's a restaurant somewhere that serves it like this.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin & Pineapple Salad

Grillin' and chillin', eating outdoors on the deck...

Eddie grilled this nice pork tenderloin.




I amuse my husband by arranging the salad ingredients. I like pretty food, don't you?



PINEAPPLE SALAD

Romaine and iceberg lettuce
Cucumber slices
Red bell pepper strips
Diced fresh pineapple
Sunflower seeds
Marzetti citrus poppy seed dressing

Arrange ingredients in desired portions and proportions. Make it pretty! Top with dressing.

Tortellini Salad

I'm back.

School became very time consuming for a while. My speech class required alot of time in research and rehearsal. But, it paid off with an A.

Of course, the anatomy class took lots of time, too. I still have a final exam to take this Tuesday. Then I'm done with school for a few weeks.

I have one class this summer, it only meets one day a week. I'll have to find some other things to occupy my time and not get too lazy!

Here's one of my favorite summer pasta salad recipes.

TORTELLINI SALAD

1 (16 ounce) package frozen cheese tortellini
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
3 tablespoons prepared pesto
1 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips (I added an orange pepper, too)
3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 (6 ounce) jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained and cut in half


Cook tortellini as label directs. Drain and cool by running cold water over. In a small bowl, mix vinegar, olive oil, sugar, salt, pepper and pesto. Combine green and yellow peppers, tomato, artichokes and tortellini in a large bowl. Pour dressing in; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate if not serving right away.

Taco Salad

Not much of a recipe here today, more like a list of ingredients I like to use in my Taco Salad.



TACO SALAD

one can of black beans, drained and rinsed
one pound ground beef
taco seasoning packet
torn lettuce
chopped tomato
diced onion
sliced black olives
shredded cheddar cheese
chopped avocado
salsa
sour cream
lightly crushed tortilla chips

Cook the ground beef, drain, add black beans and taco seasoning and a little water. Cook a little more until water is absorbed and beans are warm.

Mix ingredients in portions and proportions as desired.

The ground beef/black bean mixture should make at least 4 servings.

Variation: Instead of salsa and sour cream, use Hidden Valley Ranch Spicy Ranch salad dressing or Newman's Own Southwest dressing or Salsa Ranch (can't remember the brand I found) or Chipotle Ranch (one of those refrigerated brands).

Pear and Blue Cheese Salad

When we have a family potluck or holiday meal here in the south, there will always be an abundance of casserole side dishes. We like everything covered in cheese, cream of whatever soup, and cracker crumbs!

Sometimes, it's nice to have a healthy salad in the mix. File this one until your next holiday meal if you want something fresh and green.

PEAR AND BLUE CHEESE SALAD

Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon style mustard
4 teaspoons honey
1/4 teaspoon salt

Salad:
1 (10 ounce) bag of mixed salad greens
2 pears, peeled and diced
4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Place all dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk together until combined. Place salad greens in a large bowl. Add diced pear, blue cheese and pecans. Just before serving, pour in salad dressing and toss gently.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

When I take this to a gathering, I keep the salad ingredients separate until just before serving. Then mix them up and toss with the dressing (which I take already mixed in a little jar).

By the way, the dressing can actually cover more salad greens than included in the recipe, so use more lettuce if you need it for a larger group.

I used Romaine this time, but usually get some other fancy greens to mix in at the holidays.

Third Coast Salad

I've copied the ingredients of the house salad at Third Coast Grille restaurant. I'm not sure they use onion, but I like it. I should use a purple onion next time for the color...

THIRD COAST SALAD

lettuce of your choice (Romaine is good)
chopped Roma tomatoes
diced cucumber
thinly sliced onion
mandarin orange slices, drained
sunflower seeds
poppy seed dressing

Mix ingredients in the portions and proportions desired.

Potato Salad, Hubby's Way

I have a couple of ways that I make potato salad, but this is how my husband likes it. I especially like the pimentos for the color and the taste. And leave the potato skins on (it's healthier and colorful).




POTATO SALAD, HUBBY’S WAY

2 to 3 pounds small red potatoes
1/3 cup sweet pickle relish
4 tablespoons diced pimentos
1/8 cup yellow mustard
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup diced onion
1 hard-boiled egg, diced
salt and pepper

Cook potatoes in boiling water until tender. Drain and cool slightly.

Meanwhile, mix all other ingredients in a large bowl to create dressing. Add potatoes and toss well.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings